Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' obeys a scientific law that was invented 52 years later. It reveals the painter's keen observations of nature.

• Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" seems to follow a mathematical theory describing fluids in nature.
• He couldn't have understood the equations, which came about decades after his death.
• Researchers found van Gogh's swirls fit patterns seen in clouds, water, and other natural objects.

When Vincent van Gogh painted "The Starry Night," one of his most iconic paintings, he incorporated a mix of memory, observation, and, perhaps, his intuition for mathematics and nature.